A marine vessel, such as, for example, an offshore support vessel, includes one or more combustion engines driving one or more main propellers for propulsion of the vessel. The one or more main propellers are mechanically coupled to the one or more engines, for example, via one or more drive shafts. The one or more engines rotate at a given speed, resulting in a corresponding rotation of the one or more main propellers. For example, the vessel may include a pair of diesel engines drivably coupled to a pair of main propellers. The diesel engines and the main propellers are generally operating at constant speed.
For improving the maneuverability of the vessel, so-called tunnel thrusters (also referred to as transverse thrusters) can be provided in a hull structure of the vessel. Particularly, tunnel thruster systems include a passage (tunnel) extending through a hull segment of the hull structure of the vessel, for example, in a transverse direction. A propeller unit of the tunnel thruster system generates a water jet through the passage if activated. That water jet exits the passage in a starboard or port direction of the vessel and thus causes a steering force that allows maneuvering the vessel without travelling forward or aft.
The present disclosure is directed, at least in part, to improving or overcoming one or more aspects of prior systems.